Courtesy PhotoThe Rev. Jacob DuMont was ordained in Rome just over two weeks ago. As the Catholic Church struggles to find priests, DuMont believes religious orders such as the Legion of Christ are a good way to recruit young men for the priesthood.

GRAND RAPIDS -- New Catholic religious orders come along at "really crucial times," and that's just how Father Jacob DuMont sees the Legion of Christ: An order that specializes in attracting young men to the priesthood is addressing a shortage of priests.

Ordained just over two weeks ago in Rome, DuMont said he was drawn to the order 16 years ago as a West Catholic High School student. His teachers at his grade school, St. Jude's, had suggested the priesthood.

But he said it took a priest to seal the deal.

"What really struck me about the order was the priest was young," said DuMont, 31. "I remember having the thought that my only concept of a priest was a diocesan priest, and I didn't think God was calling me to that."

Last year, it was DuMont bringing that testimony to St. Isidore's Catholic Church, even though he had yet to be ordained.

He said his ordination, along with 48 other men, was powerful yet humbling.

DuMont began his journey with a two-week stay at the high school run by the Legion of Christ in Cheshire, Conn. He said he decided to enroll at age 15. Leaving behind a Catholic family who went to Mass and prayed the rosary together, he studied Latin along with his algebra

Of the 11 members of his graduation class, nine went into the novitiate the following fall. There, four hours of daily prayer, coupled with Christology and spirituality courses, occupied his time.

He studied in Rome, taught high school in New Hampshire, returned to Rome, and then settled in Atlanta as the assistant to the territorial director there.

Both as a student and as a teacher, he said, he saw the benefit of challenging youth to a higher purpose. The Legionaries have 450 seminarians in Rome, another 2,500 in formation. They also attract men to the priesthood who spin off to other orders.

"The vocations are out there," DuMont said. "It's not like God has stopped calling them. But the devil is very smart. There are a lot of temptations out there. Because of the society we live in -- with pornography and the Internet -- unless a young man has a solid faith, it's very hard to take that step."

He said he's aware of criticism that the Legionaries' target wealthier families and communities.

"Part of that is true," he said. "Why? Because our order is dependent on fundraising, and part of our methodology is to reach out to leaders in different fields of work."

The Legionaries have been influential, especially among the laity of Regnum Christi, in shaping conservative orthodox thought.

Its founder, the Rev. Marcial Maciel, died in February after being censured and ordered to a life of "prayer and penitence" following an investigation of sexual abuse allegations in 2006.

DuMont said he wishes the Legionaries' hallmark charity could be applied to Maciel.

"It's sad to see he has been so calumniated," he said. "We have to be careful as Catholics not to say something that we do not know is true."